This month, millions of individuals will have their benefits payments altered as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released payment dates for individuals who obtain Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit.
Because of the bank holidays, several claimants will be getting their payments on alternate days towards the Christmas and New Year period.
The Government site states: “Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account.
“If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you’ll usually be paid on the working day before.”
In the event that you were supposed to be paid on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, you will get your money on Wednesday, December 24.
Provides you are also supposed to receive any payment of Universal Credit or any other benefit payment on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1), then you will be paid on Wednesday, December 31.
In Scotland, the Adult Disability Payment has superseded the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
When you change your address to Scotland, you will be required to make a new claim for Adult Disability Payment in case you are on the PIP. Provided that you submit a PIP application form to Social Security Scotland, you do not need to do another application; they will utilise that form for Adult Disability Payment.
Most of the benefits, such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Child Benefit, will rise by 3.8 per cent next year, which is consistent with the figures for inflation in September.
The following are the benefits that tend to increase according to inflation:
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Income support
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Jobseeker’s allowance
- Maternity allowance
- Individual Indemnification Payment
- Legal maternity/paternity/adoption/shared paternal pay
- Statutory sick pay
- Tax credits.
This has now been confirmed by the DWP, which stated that it will rise by over 6% in 2011 to those making claims, rather than the 3.8% of September, and the usual allowance upswing of 2.3%.
Standard allowance on Universal Credit will rise in 2026/27 because of the rise in line with CPI, and the increase factor in addition:
- Between £316.98 and £338.58 on a monthly scale for single persons under 25.
- From £400.14 up to £424.90 a month when single individuals are aged 25 and above.
- Between £497.55 and £528.34 each month on joint claimants who are below 25 years old.
- Between £628.10 and £666.97 per month to joint claimants who are aged 25 and above.
Notably, this rise is just to the basic allowance -the Universal Credit Payment rate of basic level, and the health aspect of the payment might be subject to reduction. Any claimants of the health element as of next April will have this rate frozen and reduced by half until 2029-30.